Zyon laughed.
Ryuzio scratched the tape across the bridge of his nose. "No, it did not!"
"Why're you crying, then?"
"I'm not crying!" Ryuzio said, rubbing his eyes. "It did not hurt even a little!"
Conversations and laughter were flowing freely throughout Melga's restaurant. Ryuzio was sitting on a stool behind the counter, right beside Zyon. The entrance of the restaurant was straight behind their backs.
The table to their right was occupied by Brythe and Erixon, and on the one to their left sat the red-haired gunslinger Harold and the blue-haired mechanic Layne, though Ryuzio had never seen Harold with a gun or Layne fixing anything.
The tables by the windows beside the entrance were occupied by the remaining members of Zyon's squad. Ryuzio did not know much about them. It seemed to him as if the ones he did know stood out from the rest.
As he tapped lazily on the counter, waiting for his order, he noticed Klen—the purple-haired man who'd treated his nose—getting up from his table and approaching Brythe. Brythe looked away, leaning even far back into his chair.
Klen pulled out a blade and slashed at Brythe's face.
Brythe ducked, falling off his chair.
Klen threw the blade, aiming below Brythe's belly. Brythe opened apart his legs, the blade getting stuck on the floor between his legs. The men throughout the room were laughing at this.
Ryuzio looked at Zyon—who was also laughing—with concern. "Aren't you going to stop this?"
"What's gotten into you, Klen?" Brythe asked with a wince. "This is absolutely dangerous!"
Zyon shrugged at Ryuzio. "Nah! It's fine."
Klen looked down at his squadmate with disgust, rolling up a sleeve. "If you know that it's dangerous, what the fluck was the blade doing with the kid?"
Brythe looked down at the weapon. "Huh?" He reached for its handle.
Only now Ryuzio realized that the blade Klen was using was the one that he snuck away from Brythe a week before, and the same blade he'd used against Zyon in their epic duel just now, before Zyon brought him to Melga's, and told the Sky King's last words.
Ryuzio was still trying to make sense of what Zyon had told him.
"You got the wrong idea, Klen," Brythe said, waving dismissively. "I thought I lost this blade. You think I'd give a kid a skallo weapon?"
Klen clenched his fist. "You're supposed to be more responsible than this. We don't need two Zyons in our squad."
"Hey," Zyon said with a pout. "Don't drag me into this—"
Klen turned to him with a cold glare. "I can deal with only one idiot at a time."
Zyon faced away, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face. "How can you do this, Brythe! You're bad. I'm with Klen on this."
Another round of laughter went throughout the room.
"What did I do?" Brythe said, looking at Zyon for help. "It wasn't me, I absolutely swear!"
Klen almost lunged at him. "But it was YOUR blade that was with the kid!"
Harold grabbed him from behind, stopping him from jumping on top of Brythe on the floor. "Let's stop this now. The kid is fine and that's all that matters."
"Let go, Harold!" Klen grunted. "He needs to learn!"
"Think rationally, Doc," Harold said, holding back Klen. "If you bust his face, you're only going to make more work for yourself."
Klen stopped struggling and straightened his back. He shook his head as he sighed deeply.
Brythe got off the ground, dusting off his pants. "I'll be more careful from now on, I promise."
Klen fixed his coat and pointed. "You better be."
Brythe sat on his chair with a sigh of relief. He looked at Erixon, who was fully enjoying himself. "Son of a witch! What're you laughing at, huh?"
"You handle a sword two feet bigger than him," Erixon said with a chuckle, "yet Klen was the one standing taller just now."
"Shut the fluck up," Brythe said in an annoyed tone. "Even if I gave you a black eye, no one would be able to tell the difference."
Klen walked closer to the counter.
Zyon gulped, looking straight. "I wonder why Melga is taking so long… Right, guys?"
Klen placed a hand on Zyon's far shoulder. "Hey there, Captain."
Zyon turned awkwardly, forcing a smile on his face. "Hello…Klen."
Ryuzio chuckled—
Klen placed a hand on his far shoulder as well. "When did you steal that blade, Ryuzio?"
Ryuzio gulped as he looked into Klen's cold eyes. 'What should I do? I'm in trouble… Oh, I know!' Ryuzio broke eye contact. "What's a…blade?"
Zyon burst out laughing, and so did the other squadmates. "You're so bad at lying, Zio—"
Klen slid his hands upward, reaching for their ears, then he slammed their together heads. "Nothing is funny about this!"
Ryuzio's head fell on the counter as he rubbed it. "OW!"
Zyon also put down his head as he pointed at Klen. "Somebody stop this man! He's trying to kill your captain, you shameless bastards!"
The squadmates laughed at their captain, Brythe almost falling off his chair.
Ryuzio had been confused by the dynamic of Zyon's squad before, but now he had no idea what to make of it. It was…bizarre. The captain was getting hit by his own subordinate while the other squadmates just laughed? Utterly bizarre.
"You know how deep the wound was?" Klen asked Zyon. "His Ethercrux was a hair's width away from getting hit. It was almost as if it WAS hit, but somehow recovered."
"That can't be true," Erixon said, turning. "The only case in which such an outcome is possible would be if Ryuzio absorbed a Trueshard."
Zyon looked at Klen, then at Erixon. "That…would be the case."
Klen's eyes widened for some reason. "You did not."
"Fluck me," Erixon said with a sigh. "That's too much even by your standards, Zyon."
"I had no choice, alright!" Zyon said, slamming a hand on the counter.
Ryuzio looked around as the room grew quieter. "What're you guys talking about?"
All eyes fell on him.
"Heh?"
Ryuzio heard the door on the other side of the counter opening. He turned toward it, and the green-haired and fair-skinned owner of the restaurant appeared from the other side. Another good person stuck in a boring routine.
"Phew," Zyon said, wiping his forehead—or rather the metal-plated headband over it. "Saved."
"Heh?" Ryuzio said as he looked over his shoulder. He found Klen already settled on the table with Harold and Layne. "Weird…"
Melga placed several plates on the counter. "Your orders, Layne and Harold."
Layne got up and collected the plates before returning to his table. Meanwhile, Brythe also got his and Erixon's orders.
Melga placed two more plates on the counter, one of which Zyon slid to his left. "The usual."
Zyon smiled.
Ryuzio's eyes twinkled as he picked up the beautiful and juicy treat off the plate Zyon slid in front of him. "Finally, a BUNMEAT—!" He settled, placing the bunmeat back onto the plate and pulling apart the top bun.
Zyon stopped before he could take a bite of his own bunmeat. "Oh, baby no like veggies? Baby tummy go boo boo?"
Ryuzio's face reddened. "Shut up! I don't like the green stuff! What's so wrong about that?"
Melga leaned on the counter. "If I took your arms, you wouldn't be complete, right?"
"The dragons never ate this green stuff," Ryuzio said in a matter of fact tone. "And we know they're the toughest! So I think I'll be fine too."
"Baby believe dragons?" Zyon said mockingly. "Baby believe fairies too?"
"Shut up!"
Melga laughed—
"MELGA!" Zyon shouted dramatically, pulling away the drink in front of Ryuzio. "How dare you give this to the baby? Get him MILK!"
Melga bowed, putting a hand on her forehead. "How can I be so careless? Let me warm some milk and put it in a bottle!"
Ryuzio gritted his teeth as he assembled the bunmeat without the greens, face flushing profusely. "You're stupid, old man with his white hair and woman with her…big chest…!" He turned away chomping at his bunmeat.
Zyon and Melga laughed at the comment.
"You can't insult anyone even when you want to," Melga said, tapping at the counter. "How adorable."
"How will you become a Volant like this, Zio?" Zyon said, shaking his head. "You need to be able to win in anything, no matter what!"
Ryuzio took another bite and chewed aggressively. "It's not like you'll take me with you even if I do eat the greens."
"The Skies is a dangerous place," Brythe said. "Especially for you."
"If my Gran can soar through the Skies," Ryuzio said, "I think I'll be fine too."
Zyon raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know your grandma was also a Volant."
"She's not," Ryuzio said in between bites. "She's a…highyard."
"You mean 'skyguard'?" Brythe asked with a chuckle. "Having family in Aegis makes being a Volant even harder."
"But you're no Volant, Zio, so don't worry," Zyon said, taking a sip of his drink. "Do you know what we call people like you?"
"Awesomely tough?"
Zyon almost spat out. "Huh? NO!"
Ryuzio didn't listen to him and kept facing away.
"We call you trouble-magnets," Zyon said, "because you'll only invite trouble for yourself, and also for the entire squad."
Ryuzio turned, gobbling up the rest of his meal. "No, I won't! I'm tough! I'll take care of any trouble!"
"Etherbeasts hunt targets that are easy," Brythe said dryly. "But they'll always hunt based on the 'taste' of their target. And something about you makes you the best meal they can ever hope for."
Ryuzio gave him a confused look. 'Kids taste better than grownups?'
Zyon put a bunmeat on Ryuzio's plate. "I took off the veggies for you."
"Oh," Ryuzio picked up the bunmeat and started chomping away. "Thanks!"
"Just like a baby!" Zyon said mockingly, holding a hand to the front of his mouth.
Melga laughed. "He took it so easily too!"
Ryuzio flushed as he chewed slowly. "I don't care. It's tasty."
"Exactly," Zyon said, patting his head. "That's what every Etherbeast will be thinking when they see you."
Ryuzio kept eating. "I'm not scared of them."
"You haven't seen an Etherbeast—even of this side," Brythe said, shrugging. "Let alone the Etherbeasts from the other side."
Ryuzio flexed his arms, holding the bunmeat by his mouth. "I'm tough as a dragon! I can take on any beast!"
Zyon sighed, shaking his head.
"You should not hide it from him, Zyon," Klen said from his table, downing his drink. "You owe him that much."
Zyon lowered his head. "You're right."
The room grew quieter again. It was the same awkwardness from a couple moments before Melga appeared.
"What is it, Captain?" Ryuzio asked, turning to him. "What're you hiding from me?"
Zyon took a deep breath. "Ryuzio…"
Ryuzio slowly moved the bunmeat closer to his mouth…and took a bite, chewing even slower. "Yeah…?"
"We're sorry we hid it from you for so long," Zyon said, not meeting his blue eyes with Ryuzio. "But…"
Ryuzio leaned closer.
Zyon looked up.
Ryuzio gulped—
"You're a baby."
Ryuzio almost fell off his stool. "Are you DUMB!"
Klen lunged at Zyon, punching him on his head repeatedly. "You think this is a joke?"
The whole squad burst in laughter. Even Melga from behind the counter couldn't keep a straight face.
"Someone help me, please!" Zyon cried, covering the back of his head.
Harold dragged Klen back to their table.
Zyon got up, fixing his headband, clearing his throat.
Ryuzio swallowed the last bite of his bunmeat as he climbed atop the counter. "I know you all think that I can't become a Volant!"
All eyes fell on him again, this time with smiles.
"But you know what," Ryuzio said loudly, pointing at them, "JUST WATCH ME! I'll soar through the Eight Skies and then… Screw being a Volant!
"I'll become the Sky King!"
Zyon smiled. His squadmates did the same.
Ryuzio smiled back—
He got hit on the back of his head, knocking him off the counter top.
"How many times, Ryuzio," Melga shouted, "do I gotta tell you to not climb on the flucking counter?"
Zyon snorted as the others also started laughing.
Ryuzio rubbed his back as he picked up the stool on which he fell. He climbed atop it, grabbing his drink from the counter. "I'm sorry," he said with a salute. "Won't do that ever again, Miss Melga,"
"Good," she said, breathing out. "Now, do you want another bunmeat or something else—?"
The front door burst opened, men barging in with haste.
"Make way, idiots," a voice said from the other side, "for Sir Aksel 'The Destroyer' and his ruthless squad."
The room fell quiet.
A bulky man entered the room, a horde of men behind him. "You heard the name. You know the name. So do as I SAY or you'll have to PAY."
Three men from behind him started clapping.
Ryuzio gulped. This man—Aksel—was bigger than even Brythe. He and his squad wore clothes similar to that of military people of big cities that Ryuzio once saw on a video over the Skyweb.
"What can I do for you on this fine evening, sir?" Melga asked politely.
"You seem to be smarter than these dimwits," Aksel said, approaching the counter, as the men behind him also flooded inside the restaurant. "We're going mountain wrecking tomorrow, so I need three heavy and meaty meals for every single one of my 20 men. Better make it quick, 'cuz I HATE to WAIT."
The claps sounded again.
'That's a lot of food!' Ryuzio thought. 'Melga can't make that much!'
"I'm sorry, sir," Melga said with a bow. "I'm afraid I cannot provide such service at such a short notice. However, if you want to place an order as large as this one for the future, you can do so."
"Huh?" Aksel said, slamming a fist on the counter. "Did you just deny me?"
Zyon stood up, his head barely reaching Aksel's shoulder. He handed Aksel his drink with a smile. "Hunger can make anyone angry. Here, let's calm down and talk."
Aksel looked down on Zyon with an irritated look.
'What're you doing, Captain!' Ryuzio thought. 'You made him even madder!'
Aksel took the drink off Zyon's hand. "This supposed to fill my gut."
"We have more," Zyon said with a shrug. "You just have to wait a little."
"That so, huh?" Aksel removed the lid of the drink, spilling the liquid over Zyon's head, drenching his hair and clothes. "Are you taking me for a fool, boy? Didn't I already make it clear that I hate waiting?"
'He can't just do that!' Ryuzio thought as the drink dripped off Zyon's clothes to the floor.
Brythe sighed, getting up from his table.
'Yeah! Show him he can't touch your captain, Brythe—!'
Erixon placed a hand on Brythe's shoulder with a shake of his head.
Brythe ran a hand through his hair, sighing again before he sat down.
"What a mess," Zyon said, taking his coat off his shoulders.
Ryuzio's frown turned into a faint smile. 'He's getting ready to fight—!"
Zyon kneeled down, cleaning the floor with his coat. "My bad, Melga."
'WHAT!' Ryuzio's watched the man with wide eyes filled with disbelief.
"D-Don't worry about it, Zyon," Melga said with a frown. "I'll take care of it."
"It is MY drink that's on the floor, yeah?" Zyon said with a smile. "My coat's already drenched. Don't wanna dirty your mop too."
Aksel cracked a grin.
'Captain! Are you out of your mind—?'
Aksel snatched away Ryuzio's drink from his hands, pouring in onto Zyon's head. "You seem to know your place. How 'bout you stay down there?"
Aksel's squad started cackling loudly.
"That's what you get if you stand in our captain's way!" one of his men said.
Ryuzio gulped, looking at the expressionless faces of Zyon's squadmates. 'Are they that scared?'
Melga came around to the front of the counter. "Sir, this behavior is not welcomed here. If you want me to provide any service to you, this needs to stop immediately."
"Who do you think you are?" said one of Aksel's men as he walked to the front. He put the screen he held to the front, Aksel's face plastered on it with some numbers on the bottom. "Look at this! Do you understand the privilege to even stand in the same room as Sir Aksel 'The Destroyer'?"
'9 MILLION splinters!' Ryuzio had heard Volants got bounties, but he never knew they went this high.
9 million splinters was a lot of money—a lot of bunmeats. For this Aksel guy to have his head be worth that much, he must be a very dangerous man.
Aksel stroked his beard, looking sadistically at Melga. "How 'bout we return tomorrow evening? Can you make the order by then?"
Melga nodded. "Sure. But the payment has to be made in advance."
"Why?" Aksel asked. "You think we won't show up? You think Aksel won't stick to his words?"
Melga gulped, sweat forming on her forehead. "It's not like that, sir. It's just a policy of ours—"
Aksel gave a creepy smile. "I was just toying with you, beautiful. Aksel has so much money and power that he can marry you right now and never see you work again."
Melga grimaced. "About…the payment…"
Aksel stood tall, turning away and walking out the building. "Dref."
The man who held the screen walked closer to the counter and scanned the paykey. "What's the amount?"
Melga gulped. "5…80."
"I'm transferring a thousand splinters," the man named Dref said. "Don't disappoint Sir Aksel." With that, the rest of the horde unclogged the restaurant and walked out.
Zyon sat on his knees, wringing the coat above a bucket. "All done."
Ryuzio gritted his teeth as he walked closer to the Volant squad captain. "ZYON!"
"Huh?" Zyon looked confused as he turned to Ryuzio. "No, do it yourself! Just because I took off the greens from your bunmeat one time, doesn't mean I'll do it again—"
Ryuzio headbutted Zyon, looking straight into his eyes. "Why didn't you do anything, Captain?"
"Is cleaning not enough?" Zyon said, sitting on the floor. "Look, I made it so clean we can sit here."
Ryuzio pulled on Zyon's collar. "No man can just disrespect you like that!"
"Oh, that!" Zyon said, laughing. "Don't worry about it, Zio. It was just a drink or two. You'll learn it too someday. Not every fight is worth fighting—"
Tears rolled down Ryuzio's cheeks. "I believed in you, captain." He wiped away his tears as he turned around. "And you call yourself squadmates? Your captain was disrespected so badly, and all you did was sit around all scared?"
"Scared?" Harold said with a confused face.
Layne's mouth fell wide open. "What did you just say?"
"He said," Klen said. "We were scared—"
All the squadmates in room started laughing at Ryuzio's remark.
Brythe walked over to Zyon, pulling him off the ground. "You absolutely went for it this time, didn't you?"
Zyon smiled. "You need to control yourself, big man. I saw you getting up."
"If anything would've happened," Erixon said, "it was on you."
"Sure," Zyon said, rolling his eyes. "But thanks to you, everything's fine."
Ryuzio felt as if the entire room was getting further and further away from him. 'What is even…? What're they talking about?' He started walking toward the front door. 'And I thought Zyon was so awesome…'
"Hey, Zio," Zyon said from behind. "Where're you going?"
Ryuzio gulped, looking over his shoulder from the doorway. "Away from you all." The squadmates had returned to their conversations and laughter, as if nothing had just happened. Brythe and Erixon were standing beside Zyon. Why didn't they help him just now?
"Why're you looking at me like I'm a bunment, Zio," Zyon asked with a smile. "If you want another so bad, you know you can have it, yeah?"
"Shut up," Ryuzio said softly.
"Huh?"
"I said…" Ryuzio breathed in. "SHUT UP!" he shouted, quieting the room.
Everyone looked at him, confused.
Ryuzio looked around. "You're all a bunch of frauds!" Then he pointed at Zyon, looking him deep in the eyes through the tears. "And you're the biggest one of them." With that, he turned around and ran away into the night.
"Ryuzio!" Zyon shouted, running after him.
Brythe placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.
Zyon stopped, blinking as he saw Ryuzio running away. He lowered the hand reaching for the entrance with a sigh.
Tears dripped off Ryuzio's chin as he ran with his eyes squeezed shut, an attempt to not cry. 'I'm dumb! I'm dumb! I'm so DUMB!'
Ryuzio looked up at the stars, snot running down his nose. He opened his mouth to shout, immediately erupting into tears, sobbing loudly.
"I'll NEVER be like you, Zyon!" Ryuzio cried to the Skies.